1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable toilets, more particularly, to a flushable portable toilet capable of transporting the waste from the portable toilet to a conventional waste system by flushing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, the US population numbers over 300 million. With a population that has a high percentage of elderly, obese, and diabetic members, many will eventually suffer from mobility problems including problems with gait, knee problems, hip and other skeletal, joint, and muscles issues that hinder mobility. For example, approximately 25% of the population is made up of senior citizens that have varying levels of such mobility problems depending on their age. Approximately 30% of adults suffer from obesity that results in damage primarily to their knees and joints. Furthermore, approximately 25% of the population suffers from diabetes, which in extreme cases causes amputations of the feet and legs. All these problems create physical disabilities for individuals; thus making it difficult to get to a bathroom and use a fixed toilet.
At private homes or nursing homes, there can be many reasons that people with reduced mobility have trouble getting to the bathroom, for example: (a) The bathroom may be too far for someone who has trouble walking or pain in their legs; (b) Stroke and heart attack patients may not have full use of their arms and legs to get into the bathroom; (c) Bathroom can be too small in homes therefore being difficult to enter with a wheelchair, walker, cane, etc.; (d) Some people may have enough strength to get out of bed and stand, but not enough strength to walk to the bathroom; (e) Some individuals may have lost one or both legs (diabetes); (f) Some people may have trouble with bladder retention and need the toilet close by for quick access; (g) Some people may be too old and may not have enough strength to travel more than a few steps to get to the toilet; and, (h) Some people may use the bathroom very frequently throughout day.
In hospitals, a hospital patient, who is not confined to a bed, may rely on a shared bathroom located at a distance from his or her bed. As the patient walks the distance to the bathroom, especially at night, there is an increased risk of injury for the patient. If a patient is confined to a bed, this patient requires assistance from a caregiver to transfer them from a bed to a bathroom.
In all these situations getting to a bathroom may be so difficult for some people with reduced mobility that it may often be easier for the disabled individual or the caregiver to deal with a waste collection device located within the bedroom of the individual. Presently, the available waste collection devices include bedpans, commode chairs, and portable toilets. These devices are generally the only products available to help bring a toilet near a disabled person. A common problem with such devices is the step of removal of the waste, i.e., urine and feces and sterilization of the device for reuse. It is an extremely unpleasant chore especially for caretakers, nurses, and family members to have to clean these devices after use. In a standard home, it is not practical to wash these devices in sinks, bathtubs, showers, in the backyard, etc. First the feces and urine have to be poured into a regular or fixed toilet for flushing; then the device has to be washed and sterilized. The emptying and cleaning process can be often exacerbated due to unsanitary splashing during disposal of the waste. The splashing of the waste products around tends to create an additional mess that is difficult to manually clean.
As such, dealing with waste collection devices is always messy, unpleasant, and unsanitary because they may spread bacteria to other parts of the home. Therefore, alternative methods and devices are desired which are sanitary and convenient for a user with reduced mobility and which reduce the need for an attendant or a caregiver to handle waste for disposal and offer low maintenance and efficient cleanup by the caretaker.